Soybean sprout pathogenic bacteria were isolated from the large, deep containers of a commercial factory. Over a period of one year, 40 pathogenic-like bacteria were isolated among a total of 732 isolates. In addition to bacteria previously reported to be associated with rotting, such as Pseudomonas putida and Erwinia carotovora, several other genera were also identified: Acinetobacter spp., Chryseobacterium spp., Klebsiella sp., Pantoea agglomerans, Bacillus sp. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis using the Microbial ID (MIDI) system, and 16s rRNA sequence analysis, yielded identical results, confirming the identities of these microorganisms. Several types of selective media were not good for identification and determination of population structure in commercial environments, as colony type was not specific to the genus. There was no dominant bacterium, and we were not able to find the main bacterium responsible for soybean spout rot. Even though we did not identify a major target for controlling rot or screening for resistant cultivars, the results of this study indicated that bacterial rot of soybean sprout is endemic. In addition, it emerged that factory epidemics in summer are not caused by the bacteria isolated in this study.

• Sung-Chul Yun
• Yong-Ho Kim